86_4runner

hello everyone
im looking to lock up my entire truck but i dont know what kind of lockers to use. i heard that air lockers are really good. can anyone help me
thanx
amy

PoBoy

Looks like you have 2 4Runners...is your 86 a trail truck? If so, save a ton of money and just Detroit or weld em both.

Flygtenstein

Amy, eh?

I have two ARB's and cannot imagine life any other way. Spendy? Yes. Worth it? Definitely.

Do you drive much in snow and ice?

How much time do you spend onroad?

Is it an auto or a stick?

What sort of budget do you have?

Perhaps a wheeling topic?

Brendan

unless it is a trail only truck, i would either get a selectable locker or not get one at all.

86_4runner

my 98 is my daily driver as of now. Im putting a stereo system in it and making it ready for shows. my 86 is going to be my woods truck. im in the process of redoing the whole truck. currently its an automatic but the tranny is slipping so im changing it over to a stick. its not ready to go into the woods yet, neither am i. im gonna learn how to drive a standard plus how to wheel. usually i am in the passanger side when me and friends go wheeling now i want to learn how to do it myself. as for a budget i dont really have one. dont get me wrong im not rich at all. I want to use high quality stuff for the truck. i think of it this way spend more money now and not have it break later when it will probably cost me twice as much to fix. Driving in ice and snow i try to stay out when its bad out, im a baby when it comes to the snow and ice
Amy

PoBoy

Lockers are STRONG no matter if you get selectable or not. More money does not matter in this case...its preference. An ARB selectable is just as good as a Detroit. Welding the diff is the strongest of course.

If this truck rarely hits the road and dont have plans for it to do so...I say detroits or weld. You're looking at $500 vs $1500 for selectables.

Flygtenstein

There is surely a gradation of locker strength Lock-Right to Detroit to ARB.

You get what you pay for. In the case of the ARB, that means open when you want, spool when you want.

Welding the diffs? Has YT graduated to that now?

Auto lockers eat tires.

Auto lockers up front make turning in 4wd about as much fun as a trip to the federal pen.

Jonathan

Just remember if you plan on driving this thing on the ice, it's not a good idea to have a locked rearend. With both tires receiving equal power it could send you sideways real quick. Now if it's strictly off-road, just weld the diff and be done with it. ARB's are pricey running around $650 per locker and then another $200 or so for the compressor, then you'll probably want to re-gear and that all adds up to some major bucks. I've head a lot of good things about the ARB's and that's probably what i'll get when I can afford it and find someone who can help me do the work needed. Also the Toyota e-locker (for the rear)might be worth looking into as it will run cheaper than the ARB and is still selectable. Good luck

PoBoy

How much strength difference is there between a Detroit and an ARB? Ive seen more broken ARBs then detroits...but Im in the crappy midwest where you have to create your challenges. People swear by both...and Im one that swears by the Detroit. Never had the luxury of an arb.

Welding the diffs? I swear there was a thread on here last year about them when everyone went locker crazy. May have been 4x4wire...I retract the welding diff option then

Man, you are pretty anti-autolockers. If it's a trail truck...why the hell not?

Flygtenstein

Everything breaks, period. Some sooner, some later.

Trailer queen, ARB front, spool rear and a front/rear t-case disengagement. I have been annoyed, even with the rear locked, at the trucks desire to push when I want to make tight turns. Any time my diff gets power, I want to be able to control if it is one or both wheels. I guess I am picky like that.

After wheeling with them a pretty decent amout this summer on pure rocks, this winter in moderate snow and on muddy rocks in the intervening time, I am sold.

PoBoy

To each their own i guess...I guess I will admit I didnt like the Detroit at first, but I learned to love it real fast. By far best $250 I spent on the truck. If it was a trail truck, I would have put another in the front. Maybe the very few guys on here with auto-ed up front will chime in on their exp with em. I recall someone being very happy.

foxtrapper

Amy,

The various autolockers have "personality" on the street. The more spirited a driver you are on asphalt, the more personality they show. They all operate essentially the same, so they also act the same by and large. They toggle back and forth between being locked and open by the load, which makes street driving so interesting. You can find the Lock-Right on sale pretty regularly for under $200. Aussie insists theirs is wonderfull, but what they claim and what they write on their warranty are two different things. Detroit is the heavy duty of them all.

Selective lockers like ARB or the electric one from Toyota are open differentials until you lock them yourself. I personally think these are the best way to go. You're open and easily driveable in normal mode. Lock it up, and it's locked solid until you say otherwise. Cheap this isn't, but boy does it work well. Manual lockers like this are what is used on farm tractors btw, because it works very well.

Welding the differential is a permenent lock. It's highly effective and cheap, but best suited for a trail rig. I'd recommend welding the rear differential first and drive it for a while before welding up the front, just to get a feel for how a permenently locked differential behaves. A welded front differential wreaks havoc on tight turns. A welded rear affects tight turns, but nowhere near as severely as a welded front can.

Stump1883

Geez I never thought I would hear "weld the diff" on YT. That seems like a pirate thing. I would certainly go with selectables, I'm getting my ARB in soon and I'll more thank likely go with another ARB up front or a Toy E-locker latter down the road. Myself, I drive in snow, ice and everything in between, this is my d/d to and from school and work so selectable is my best option. I was going to go auto in the rear and selectable up front, but in the snow I rather be open, and I rather now hear the ratcheting sound they make around coners. It's all about what you can tollerate, if it's just your trail rig and you have a 98 for you d/d I say go with a full Detroit, or a Detroit Ez-locker. You won't regret getting locked up any way you got, it makes all the difference. Traction is addicting.

WolfpackTLC

The real " strengths " of an ARB locker aren't evident until you find other weaknesses in your driveline, mainly your inner axle shafts. YES, both the Detroit and the ARB are full carrier replacments, but only the ARB is a true spool when locked. That said, breaking an inner shaft w/ a Detroit will also kill the locker... ouch. On the flip side, improperly installed or poorly installed ARB's are prone to leaks and failures, but that is not the fault of the locker, but the person putting it in... Motors and gears are complex things to put in a rig, but you don't see people blaming gears when they chew themselves up...it's the installers fault. My vote is obviously for the ARB, if nothing else, for the peace of mind in reference to the shafts, AND the ability to unlock my rear, keep my front locked, and use my rear to manuver myself if need be.

My. 02

WolfpackTLC

Stump1883

Listen to this guy, he runs double ARBs in his LC, and a Detroit in his 3rd gen, so he knows the difference.

J,
I need to get with you about the compressor, front 5.29 gears and other small stuff I need for my ARB. I'll try and drop you a PM soon, this is just a reminder to actually check your box once in awhile.

Napoleon047

first of all, while welding the diff is the cheapest, it isnt necessarily the strongest. a bought spool is stronger and can be had for $130.

next, a selectable in the rear is a waste of money, IMO. on a lunchbox locker (lock-rite) the street manners arent bad, and on ice, its easy to learn to keep the vehicle in control. a selectable for the front is good for turning ability, but for the rear, its just money that IMO could be better spent. IF and when i break the ez locker, im going with a spool in the rear. everyone i have talked to says that although it wears the tires more, the spool is better behaved on the pavement than a lunchbox locker, plus is much stronger and reliable.

but overall, for 90% of wheelers out there, a lock-rite or similar is an excellent choice, especially if you arent regearing at this time since it can easily be installed by yourself in a couple hours.

Napoleon047

depends on the brand of gears

Flygtenstein

Sorry, please disregard my posts, I am retarded.

Any personal experiences of mine with rigs I have driven or operating my own are susceptible to typical Cartesian perceptual errors.

Additionally, EZ-Lockers can be had for $250, but a new Detroit, as in the man's locker, cannot.

PoBoy

Flygt, you wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something?

So around $400 for a "man's" Detroit...still a whole lot cheaper and install is still fairly easy. Still, that EZ locker is underrated by the ARB people. Unless you are doing the serious serious stuff, an EZ-locker will suit 95% of wheelers out there fine. Im not saying that this is the locker for everyone though! I'm not saying that you should go Detroit over ARB. Im just saying that it is a very good option and will provide most wheelers with their locker needs. Again, if its a trail truck...why the hell not?

An FYI on tire eating - I just talked to Jason Demello (my 4Runner owner) - He's got 55K on the MTRs w/ an EZ-locker in rear. He's just starting to think about putting some new meats on. Not bad at all! My experience was that if you take it easy on turns, it just about always slips and there will be no tired eatage.

Napoleon047

im sorry you took anything i said as a personal insult, but that is your problem. did you happen to notice my little disclaimer: IMO (in my opinion). i never claimed that i am the all-knowing god of wheeling, i merely just stated my opinion.
i was responding to the first post. the man wanted options for his rig, so i am giving him another. it seems everyone except for poboy was trashing the lunchbox lockers and saying anything but a selectable were crap. i tend to disagree. sure ARB's are nice if you have the cash, but not everyone does. if you can comprimise a little in street manners for tons of off road performance at low cost, then lunchbox lockers are for you.

on a side note: why do some people think that welding the diff shouldnt be given as an option on YT? it is a cost effective method of getting performance for the reasons stated above.